Detoxification is one of the more widely used treatments and concepts in alternative medicine. It is based on the principle that illnesses can be caused by the accumulation of toxic substances (toxins) in the body. Eliminating existing toxins and avoiding new toxins are essential parts of the healing process.

Origins

Detoxification methods of healing have been used for thousands of years. Fasting, a method used often in detoxification treatments, is one of the oldest therapeutic practices in medicine. Hippocrates, the ancient Greek known as the father of Western medicine, recommended fasting as a means for improving health. Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional healing system that has developed over thousands of years, utilizes detoxification methods to treat many chronic conditions and to prevent illness.

Detoxification treatment has become one of the cornerstones of alternative medicine. Conventional medicine notes that environmental factors can play a significant role in many illnesses. Environmental medicine is a field that studies exactly how those environmental factors influence disease. Conditions such as asthma, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, and many others are strongly influenced by exposure to toxic or allergenic substances in the environment. The United States Centers for Disease Control estimate that over 80% of all illnesses have environmental and lifestyle causes.

Detoxification has also become a prominent treatment as people have become more aware of environmental pollution. It is estimated that one in every four Americans suffers from some level of heavy metal poisoning. Heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic, are by-products of industry. Synthetic agriculture chemicals, many of which are known to cause health problems, are also found in food, air, and water. American agriculture uses nearly 10 pounds of pesticides per person on the food supply each year. These toxins have become almost unavoidable. Pesticides that are used only on crops in the southern United States have been found in the tissue of animals in the far north of Canada. DDT, a cancer-causing insecticide that has been banned for decades, is still regularly found in the fatty tissue of animals, birds, and fish, even in extremely remote regions such as the North Pole.
Optimal health may best be described as experiencing the fullness of life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It is more than just the absence of disease or symptoms. It is the state of vibrant well-being in our riving experience.

Our bodies detoxify naturally daily through breathing, digestive tract function, the liver, the lymphatic system, the skin, and the urinary tract. These organs and body systems are designed to process toxins into less harmful substances and eliminate. Exposure to toxins through pollution affects our air, food and water supplies. The increased toxic burden on our body's systems creates toxic residues which accumulate in the fatty tissues and organs. Accumulated toxicity results in illness and disease. Specific herbs, pure food, water, and other natural elements, help the body's detoxifying systems to release these toxins.

A balanced detoxification program addresses physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Lack of energy and fatigue are among the most common complaints that would benefit from a detoxification program. Many of the symptoms of toxicity include exhaustion even after a full night's sleep, excessive weight gain, chronic pain, limited sense of well-being, and even greater lethargy after eating meals. When toxins build up in the body, they create blockages which can prevent proper absorption of the foods we eat.